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1997's are pure crap indeed. They come warped and the top of the helmet structure looks rectangular or boxy. What's even worse is that the eye lense section is way too small and looks like a caricatured Fett that just woke up!

You can get 1997's for about $35-40. Depending on how they look (warped wise) will dictate the price in that range.

An authentic 1995 DP will fetch around $85-110. Expect to pay close to the $100 mark with 1995's because they're really well made and as accurate as DP made them. The top of the helmets are fully rounded and the eye lenses are accurate to the view. If there is warping, it is only minor at the bottom of the helmet.

The next best thing to a '95 is the 1996 DP; however, you have to be careful. Early 1996's were shaped and molded similarly to the 1995's, the only thing was that the t-visor isn't indented in space-wise. 1996's run anywhere from $50-65. (If you are fully modifying your 1996 helmet, then it won't matter when you cut out the plastic for the t-visor and put in a back mount.) The reason why you have to be careful for 1996's were that the year ending batches for that year were the beginning of the awful warped and lowest quality DP Fett helmets produced. These ones are fully known as the 1997 DP's which continued on until DP called it quits. So the last remaining 1996's to 1997's all look messed up.

If you want the best for your Fett costume -- GO WITH A 1995 DP FETT HELMET, BAR NONE. Hope this helps.

There was some discion about the Don Post helmate beeing too small and the wrong shape, regarding the front view taper, top bottom. There are also a few postings with suggested dimentions drawn over a photograph. When I looked at my Don Post 96 and compared it to some of the ROTJ photos it does seem small. The ROTJ helmet looks to be about 1" to 1" and a half wider at the botom and maybe 1 half" to 3 quarters" taller. What does the gang think ?

Apr 10, 2002, 12:59 AM - Merged: Which Don Post helmet year is the best and why#5

I just bought the 97 thinking it would be the best one. but i have have heard a few people prefered others. I would just like to know their reasons so I can make an informed choice of whether to buy a new one or not.

Apr 10, 2002, 12:59 AM - Merged: Re: Which Don Post helmet year is the best and why#6

I've heard it said and seen it written many times on this board, and elsewhere, that out of the 95', 96', and 97' DP Classic Action BF helmets, the 95' is the preferred choice due to the observation that the vinyl plastic it's cast from is more durable and less prone to warping than the latter years in production of the helmet. Of course, this opinion is also coming from a lot of the different prop-makers who post here as well, and maybe it's the 95' that's able to take the most punishment when some of these guys are casting molds to make new copies of the helmets, whether it's resin or fiberglass (I have yet to see a metal one, although I'd go after it in a heartbeat, if I knew someone was making 'em)!
Also, it's the '95 that seems more true to form and shape ,from what we've seen in the movies. Supposedly this all goes downhill after '95, but it's here that I think I agree with Bear that it's also a matter of personal choice.
My personal choice is DP's Deluxe fiberglass helmet, which has the most flair out of all of the DP selection , but it's also his only offering which lightens a Fett fan's wallet considerably compared to the vinyl-cast versions!
There are cheaper ways to go, considering the existence of some of the armor-makers out there, who also happen to post here on a regular basis, that is, if you're interested in having that extra ESB flair in your helmet of choice.
Hope my two cents worth helps ya out!

Apr 10, 2002, 12:59 AM - Merged: Re: Which Don Post helmet year is the best and why#7

I own both a '95 in white vinyl (considered most durable by other board members) & a '96. These helmets are almost identicle. They have the exact same scratches in the dent area & the same inconsistencies in the band above the visor. The warp in the back is exactly the same on both. It looks as if they were cast from the same mold. The only difference is the visor and rear keyholes are not as deeply recessed on the '96. This was the version I used to do a fiberglass recast. I knew I was going to rearmount the visor so I thought this one would be more accurate. The '97s I have seen on Ebay all look like the top of the dome is flat & the Rubie's, well, they speak for themselves.

Apr 10, 2002, 12:59 AM - Merged: Re: Which Don Post helmet year is the best and why#8

Ugggghhh...the Rubie's. It's true--they speak for themselves alright, and most folks don't really like what they have to say!! I think bigkid was being as kind and as politically correct as anyone can possibly be for a Rubie's description. Me.....I do better using images ,or an icon in this case, which I think speaks for itself, and I'm glad this forum has it....... uke

Hey folks,
Fedex shows that my armor is in town and on the way. I plan to go out and buy my paints tonight. I want to hand paint my helmet (so I can do it indoors and with some degree of control) and I'm not sure what paint to use.

I think I'm going to use silver/chrome spray paint dabbed on for the flaking, but I want to use regular paints for the helmet.

I used to customize action figures and acrylics were the standard, even acrylic enamels. Straight enamels were notorious for drying tacky and sometimes 'eating' or breaking down the plastic. Needless to say I don't want to screw this up.

Please any help would be great. Brand names are great, but even a type of paint would be helpful.

I hand painted most of the detail on my helmet with enamel spray paint. I would spray small amounts into a plasic bowl(outside of course), and then use a brush to apply it. Enamel spray paint comes in so many color varieties and it holds up a million times better than acrylic paints. I would suggest using a spray on primer before applying the colors as it will provide a good surface for the enamel to bond to. Unprimed plastic surfaces will allow the paint to flake more easily and the enamel may not dry completely and remain tacky. I did use acrylic paint for the black carbon marks on the helmet because I could get a more transparent opacity and it looks more realisic.

Forgive me in advance for this deliberately obscure post, but with licensing concerns looming, I'll let the artisans speak for themselves if they choose.

I can say, however, that to date a fibreglass replica does not exsist that does not have at least one or two glaring flaws, if not more. This is in no way a knock to the people who have developed the pieces. They have done extraordinary things with the extremely flawed pieces they have to work with. The closest helmet to the film helmet is the DP deluxe, however it has glaring flaws. So helmets molded/based modified from this helmet will iherantly have these flaws as well. They range from flat domes, to square visor ends without squint, to poor molding with no flare, to the biggest problem size.

As I said though, there are some very well done helmets out there, and I'll their creators speak for their pieces.

And for prices, you could be looking at anywhere between $250-$800. It's a wide range, but it gives you a ballpark.

Go to http://pages.prodigy.net/irishpride There are a few pics of my projects. As my helmets are hand made from scratch, I cannot use the DP or whatever to compare. I try to make my pieces as close to movie size as possible. It has been a very enjoyable hobbie, as I also enjoy working with fiberglass. Any pointers I can give you, I would live to help.
E-mail: Irishpride1972@hotmail.com
OR: Irishpride@prodigy.net

I picked up one of Gino's last fiberglass efforts cast from a DP deluxe and I am real happy with it and the size, considering that I had a pretty rough time finding a helmet that I could even put on half way.

With Gino's helmet...not only does it fit over my head but it fits with a padded liner and wearing a hood. I also took it one step further by correcting the glaring DP faults.

I remade the key section at the back of the helmet, making it's size correct and clean...I reshaped the bottom body line of the back side of the helmet and I corrected the T visior problem.

A side from the size and shape of the dome it looks pretty darn accurate. If you check out the 'what do you look like with and with out your helmet' threads you can get a good look at the changes I made.

You can fix the warp by gently heating with a heat gun. It wouldn't hurt to make a metal ring & attach it to the inside perimeter to help keep the shape either. I have also heard other people lining the inside with fiberglass & getting good results.

I have heard that the plastic in the 97's was thicker than the 95's, but for whatever reason, 'most' of them ended up with a "flat-top". I saw TK0000's 97 the other day and it had a great dome. I would definately not buy one without seeing it first, and from a few angles. Of course I would recommend this for any Fett helmet.

I don't about how much thicker the plastic is in a '97 compared to the '95 (I own a '95), but the compostion of the plastic in the '95 is very ridgid. I've seen a '96 in person, and the plastic was more flimsy than the '95. In fact, the '95 plastic is so stubborn that I have shape and reheat the little warp in the back numerous times before it kept.

Well, I can tell you that my DP deluxe is about 10 inches wide. WE know that is DP deluxe is smaller than the film helmet. And according to Natty, the ESB helmet is slightly wider than the DP. SO, something above the 10 inch mark might do you well. Be careful not squish the helmet too much, as the standard is the smallest of the Fett helmet's and may not accomodate the actual width.

(If the link does not work, you may have to copy and paste it in the address line of your browser.)

To tell you the truth, I have trouble fitting the FG 95 and Deluxe on my head, but the 97 is very roomy. It appears that the 97 is wider front to back. Of course this may be why there is no flare on the 97's. The 95 is wider side to side. Of course this is probably why it has more flare. The Deluxe is in between the 95 and 97 although it is definately taller so your chin is less likely to be visible.

I just recently discovered this amazing forum. Unbelievable stuff here I started getting interested in building a Fett costume (although I haven't yet decided on Boba, Jango, or custom - maybe someday all three), but I'm slightly daunted by one possible problem -- finding a helmet that fits.

The only time I've seen Don Post helmets at retail was just prior to Episode I when Target put its old Star Wars merchandise on clearance. They didn't have a Boba Fett helmet, but the Stormtrooper, Imperial Guard, and Scout Trooper helmets simply would not fit over my head!

7-3/8 is not that big. I wear a 7-1/8 and you are only slightly bigger than that. Now a 7-3/4 or more is a melon. If you have got the funds (and are fortunate enough to find one), the DP Deluxe helmet is 15% bigger than the standard DP. There are also quite a few recast helmets out there that are bigger than the standards. Just keep your eyes open for them.

I have a relatively large melon on top of my shoulders and the DP Deluxe copy (I think.) that I have fits fairly snugly. Not a lot of room to play around with inside the helmet. No need for liners and such.

I picked up a DP helmet on ebay a few years back and I thought the thing was huge! I felt more like Darth Helmet from Space Balls than Boba Fett when I put it on. I always figured that I had a larger sized Richard Cranium than most as well, about a 7 1/8.